Dune Adder

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Everyone

I am back after a long break and I have to admit I missed you guys. Just returned from the Kalahari and I have a number of images to share. So let me begin with this Puff Adder female who was quite gentle natured and allowed me to capture her while she was moving around looking for shelter.

Image taken at about 17.50 pm, the light was almost as harsh and unforgiving as during lunch time. My skin suffered tremendously from prolonged exposure to sun. But this opportunity was too good to miss and I must have a hundred frames of this beauty, so pleased to add this species to my collection.

Let me have your thoughts please, EXIF as follows:

Nikon D5
Nikon 500 mm F4
ISO 2000
F18
1/1250

Kind regards,

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hey Gabriela good to see you back here ... alive
Great that you got along with the Adder and got to shoot some frames , you are brave Sis .
Always a pleasure for me to see snake images , so well done to get some and post them here .I like the overall IQ and the very clean shot with no distracting elements , great low POV an the tongue being visible is priceless good !!!!!! Lovely detail in the subject and the overall color /tone combo does look very natural to me.
Crop works as presented , but i am not sure about the yellow band on the top of the frame , i think for continuity reasons i might give it the same color as more downwards visible .
Just my thoughts .

Please do stay ..... here .

Cheers from your northerly grey socked brother ...

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Gabriela,

Nice to have you back and I think folks are in for a treat with some of your recent captures.

Personally I wonder about less body and more in front? As I'm away still, I think Andreas will have covered some of the techs & colour. Personally I might have remove the two shadow elements from the left for a 'cleaner' perspective, but your call not a deal breaker.

TFS
Steve

[Gabriela Plesea]

Dear Andreas and Steve,
Really happy to be back and enjoying your warm welcome, thank you

Andreas, I did consider doing some "alterations" at the top of the frame but since I have so many from this sighting I thought I'd leave the yellow band there. Interested to have your thoughts on another frame with some blue sky at the top - I had to lie down on the hot sand to get that perspective and not sure it was worth it, let me know what you think when I share it.

Steve, I have some with less body and more in front. Not sure what shadows you are referring to, the one below the snake's head is from the tongue. You are in for a snake "series" from me I am afraid, but I will share other images in-between otherwise you'll get bored:) Busy working on something for this month's theme now.

Once again thank you both for feedback, much appreciated!

Hope you have a wonderful day ahead,

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Gabriela - Welcome back! You already know I like this and my thoughts are better you than me. Very brave! Love the dof, pov and extended tongue here. I'm ok with the amount of body but do agree with Andreas about the band of yellow. I think a more narrow pano crop would work as an alternative. I'm going to disagree with Steve about the shadows and say they should all stay. They help to show the undulations in the sand. You handled the harsh light well. Looking forward to more.

TFS,
Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Not sure what shadows you are referring to, the one below the snake's head is from the tongue.

Very roughly done, but hope this illustrates my thinking and I do think it still retains the subtle undulations of the sand as that has not changed.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Dear Steve,
Thank you for taking the time to RP. Thought I'd leave the shadow because it was there. I kind of liked it, but now I get your point

Warmest regards,

[Steve Kaluski]

For me the shadow doesn't really add much and without it I feel the subject gets more 'clarity/focus' and the eye isn't draw, but personal preference .

[Gabriela Plesea]

Dear Steve,
I am with you. But only after seeing your RP.

Thank you so much:)

[Morkel Erasmus]

Welcome back Gabriela! This is a stunning shot, love the soft tones and the angle and the details.
I personally like all the undulations and even the yellow BG band at the top adds for me. I do think perhaps a little more DOF would have been nice for the ripples in the sand in and around the plane of focus?

From what I saw the Kalahari was wet wet wet and green green green this summer!?

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Morkel and thank you so much for warm welcome!

The Kalahari was wet and green and vegetation (silver grasses) up to my waist, no more orange dunes either. The place had 170 mm of rain before I got there and another 100 mm or so during my two week stay. Flowers bursting from the sand everywhere, yellow, purple and blue ( Kat Sterties galore). The bokkies were plump and lazy, lots of lambs. At 13th borehole I encountered a lioness and subadult one afternoon, they were drinking at the waterhole which is now overflowing so it looks so natural. The youngster crept up to my vehicle while I was busy taking photographs of mom and bit into my bean bag, I had to give him a smack to let go but the damage was done. Mom did not interfere:)

Back to the image, I have lots more and experimented at various settings, will share soon. You might like one with the blue sky at the top:)

Have a great evening Morkel, thank you so much again for feedback,

[Jonathan Ashton]

Gabriela, I like the image in pane 1 for me the composition is great and I lke the two tone background and the shadow - it looks plum natural to me.

[keith mitchell]

Gabriela I'm fine with your OP, Snake fits beautifully onto the lovely soft two tone bg,I really do like the way you have caught this.Its great to see you back but it does sound like a great trip that you had ,I will look out for more.

Keith.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Dear Jon and Keith,

I have so many images of this Puffy, you will eventually beg me to stop posting them!

And thank you so much for your kind comments, I so appreciate your time to view and crit:)

Warmest regards,